By Hadi Fornaji.
Tunis, 19 September 2017:
For the third day in a row, the Ras Jedir border crossing between Libya and Tunis has remained closed to traffic. According to the border post’s Facebook page, the only exceptions are ambulances and travellers returning home.
The crossing was shut by the Libyan side after protestors in the nearby Tunisian town of Ben Guerdane stopped Libyan-registered vehicles moving in either direction – into Tunisia or back to Libya. They did so, allegedly, because of the Libyan customs officials clamping down in goods being smuggled into Tunisia.
Much of the economy of Ben Guerdane is currenly dependent on the highly profitable smuggling business.
In a statement on their Facebook page, staff from the Libyan side of the border said they were tired of the constant abuse they received from those using the crossing.
The closure is said to have left hundreds of mainly Libyan travellers stranded in the area.
